CULTURE
Pick Up Stories
Spotlight on Yomitan, most populous vill… [Community Okinawa Series]
By Natalie Nakamatsu Yomitan is located on the west coast of central Okinawa, bordered by Onna Village to the north, Okinawa City to the eas...Read More
Learn and Improve your Japanese in Okina… [Education Japanese Lesson]
Since 2010, Touyou Gengo Bunka Gakuin (Asian Language & Culture College) in Midorimachi, Uruma City has been providing quality Japanese ...Read More
Japanese Lesson by Global Village Vol.16… [Japanese Lesson]
http://gvokinawa.com/ Facebook Page ...Read More
2018.10.24
Old Katsuren Town ③ Katsuren Castle Ruins [Okinawa Series Ryukyu History]
Katsuren Castle was built around the 12~13th century and has been the focal point at one time in Okinawa’s history. One Okinawa’s great lords, Lord Amawari, had presided over the c...
2018.10.23
Old Katsuren Town ② Hamahiga Island [Okinawa Series]
Hamahiga Island is connected to Henza Island which in turn is connected to the main Okinawa Island. Henza, Miyagi, Ikei islands were part of old Yonashiro Town, but Hamahiga was a ...
2018.10.22
Old Katsuren Town ① – A Glimpse Back in Time to the Old Ryukyu Kingdom [Okinawa Series]
Old Katsuren Town was once a popular fisherman’s town on the middle eastside of the Okinawan main island. In 2005, the town had merged with three other municipalities, Yonash...
2018.10.15
October 17th, Okinawa Soba Day [CULTURE Gourmet]
A bowl of soba is to Okinawa what a hamburger is to America. Here on the island you can see Okinawa soba signs everywhere. It has become entrenched in the Okinawan psyche. Those wh...
2018.10.12
Japanese Lesson by Global Village Vol.158 [Japanese Lesson]
http://gvokinawa.com/ Facebook Page ...
2018.10.05
Shurijo Castle Park’s Ryukyu Traditional Sweets [CULTURE Gourmet LIFE]
Within Shuri Castle lies a special room that at one time was used as a waiting room for special guest. This room was used by princes, various officials, and diplomats to hold infor...
2018.10.04
Traditional sweets in Okinawa, its since the Ryukyu Era [CULTURE Gourmet Ryukyu History]
Though Okinawa is part of Japan, the island has had many influences from China, as well as from other cultures from around the world. One of those influences came in the form of sw...
2018.10.03
Radiating Relics of the Past. Now at the Urasoe Art Museum! [Ryukyu History]
From September 14th to October 28th, the Urasoe Art Museum will be hosting the “Kira-kira Hikaru Exhibition”, where some of the world’s most illustrious relics of the past will be ...
2018.09.28
Japanese Lesson by Global Village Vol.157 [Japanese Lesson]
http://gvokinawa.com/ Facebook Page ...
2018.09.20
Shuri-jo Harvest Celebration, The ‘Chushu-no-Utage’ [CULTURE Ryukyu History]
Chushu-no-Utage, the Mid-Autumn Harvest Celebration, was one of seven banquets put forth by the Shuri royalty during the Ryukyu Kingdom Era in order to entertain guest envoys, the ...
2018.09.19
Yabuchi Island: Old Yonashiro Town ⑤ [Okinawa Series]
Yabuchi Island is a very small uninhabited island that once belonged to the then Yonashiro Town. The island is connected to the mainland by the Yabuchi Bridge which was built in 19...
2018.09.18
Ikei Island: Old Yonashiro Town ④ [Okinawa Series]
Ikei Island is the final island along the chain that belongs to the Yonashiro District. The red painted bridge that connects Miyagi and Ikei was built in 1982. In the Okinawan dial...
2018.09.14
Miyagi Island: Old Yonashiro Town ③ [Okinawa Series]
The next island from Henza is Miyagi Island which is also connected by a bridge, albeit it is much, much smaller than the Kai-chu-doro. In fact, the bridge is about a few car lengt...
2018.09.13
Henza Island: Old Yonashiro Town ② [Okinawa Series]
The first island you will reach after you cross the Kai-chu-doro bridge is Henza Island. This tiny island had flourished in the mid-1900s due to its location which was easily acces...
2018.09.12
The Islands of Old Yonashiro; Uruma City’s Forgotten Town ① [Okinawa Series]
Uruma City’s Yonashiro District was, at one time, Yonashiro Town. That all changed in 2005 when 4 municipalities, Ishikawa City, Gushikawa City, Yonashiro Town and Katsuren Town me...
2018.09.09
Japanese Lesson by Global Village Vol.156 [Japanese Lesson]
http://gvokinawa.com/ Facebook Page ...
2018.09.04
Japanese Lesson by Global Village Vol.155 [Japanese Lesson]
http://gvokinawa.com/ Facebook Page ...
2018.08.29
All Okinawa Eisa Festival 2018 [CULTURE Festival]
The Zento Eisa Matsuri, the All Okinawa Eisa Festival, takes place every year on the first weekend after Obon. This tradition began in 1956 at what was then called Koza, what would...
2018.08.24
“Eisa”, Okinawa’s Famed Tradition [CULTURE]
These days, when people think of Okinawa, the first image that may spring to mind are dancers clad in ceremonious garb armed with taiko drums and folding hand fans. This is Eisa; a...
2018.08.23
Obon is time for family gathering to remember ancestors [CULTURE]
For three days starting on Thursday, August 23rd through Saturday, August 25th, many privately owned businesses on Okinawa will close their stores to take timeout to honor one of ...
RYUKYU PRESS